A Gundam for Peace
by Beth Ashkevron
Summary: Relena is not acting herself, so her friends conspire to get her to take a vacation.
1. In Which Noin Plots

"You should take a break, Miss. Relena."  
  
"Huh?" Came the Minister's surprised reply, "Oh, Lieutenant. You surprised me."  
  
"What were you thinking about?" Lieutenant Lucreitsea Noin asked the young Prime Minister.  
  
"Oh. Nothing. Nothing important, anyway." Was the seventeen-year-olds despondent reply.  
  
"Important to whom, may I ask?" Milliardo Peacecraft asked, frowning down at his younger sister.  
  
"Oh, for pity's sake, Milliardo! Would you both just leave me be for once?" Relena Darlain/Peacecraft sounded slightly exasperated. And Relena was never exasperated, she was the most patient person Noin had ever met. (With the sole exception of Heero Yuy, a Gundam pilot.)  
  
Relena returned to staring unseeingly at the little mobile on her desk. She gently spun the swinging part; however, her hand shook, the mobile over- balanced and toppled. It clattered to her desk.  
  
"D*MN"  
  
"Pardon me?!" Noin asked, with an amused expression on her face.  
  
"Why can't I do anything anymore?" Relena shouted and dashed from the room, a single tear sliding down her cheek.  
  
Noin and Milliardo exchanged a worried look.  
  
"Zechs?" Noin began, "We have to do something about her soon. She's wasting away. She doesn't eat, she's loosing weight, and every smile is more strained than the last."  
  
"I know, Lucreitia. But what can we possibly do?" The former Zechs Marquise asked, exasperated, pulling his white-blonde hair out of his eyes, "Every time I try to talk to her, she disappears, or if she can't, she goes all formal on me and won't talk..."  
  
"I have an Idea." Noin stated. "Actually, Catherine, Hilde, Sally, Marie- Mea, and I have an Idea. See, it goes like this..."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Relena collapsed on her bed, frowning. *Help! Somebody get me out of this!* She sobbed to herself. *Huh. Who am I expecting to answer me? Heero? Huh. Even if he knew how I feel, he wouldn't care. So why kid myself?*  
  
~Because you care about him...~ Her subconscious taunted.  
  
"Just- get out of my head, would you?!" She shouted into her pillow.  
  
No one answered.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	2. In Which Heero is Awakened and Recruited

Ring, Bring. Bang. Bang. Bring, Ring.  
  
"Alright, alright, already. I'm up." Heero grumbled into the corner of the cushion he was using for a pillow. He tumbled off the couch and walked to the door. He was now coolly awake and pulled his gun out from a pocket in his shorts. He opened the door.  
  
"SURPRISE!" Shouted Duo's voice.  
  
Heero glared at him icily and showed no other sign that he noticed the noise. Lieutenant Noin, Duo, Trowa, Quatre, and Woufei were all standing outside his door.  
  
"What do you people want with me?" Heero asked quietly, his arms folded protectively over his bare upper body.  
  
"You gonna let us in?" Duo asked brightly.  
  
"Huh." Was Heero's classic reply as he stepped aside to allow the others inside his living room.  
  
"Cool apartment, Heero." Quatre tried to coax the former soldier into talking. Heero just grunted.  
  
*What on the Colonies do they want a 4 AM? And how the hell did Duo get my new address?!* None of these angry thoughts showed on Heero Yuy's strictly controlled face.  
  
"Alright," Noin began, "Here's the plan..."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
*I still don't like it.* Heero thought, sitting in an airplane seat heading for an apartment near the Peacecraft mansion. *I must be getting soft for them to be able to knock me out like that. D*MN!! What am I doing, going back there? I'm asking for trouble. She's going to murder me the moment she sees me...I should have said something before just leaving like that.*  
  
~Yes, you should have. In fact you should never have left at all...You didn't want to, either. Even she didn't want you to go. And you know it...~ His subconscious informed him.  
  
*It was for her own good.* He thought back fiercely. *I only cause her pain... I'm no good for her.*  
  
~Is that what you really think? You don't honestly think that she'd agree with you on that, do you?~ It asked incredulously, with just a touch of accusation in its silent voice.  
  
*Oh, SHUT THE HELL UP!* He yelled to himself. He mused, ignoring any other attempts from his wayward emotions to make him listen.  
  
*Well... At least 'Lena doesn't need to know that I'm there- for the time being, anyway...* He thought wistfully to himself.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	3. In Which Relena Discovers That she Has a...

A month or so later, the attack threats on Relena have diminished, but she is still overtaxed, and frail. She is still unaware that Heero has been guarding her...  
  
*I'll bet that water would be really refreshing...* Relena thought, standing on her balcony looking out over the gold-tinted waters of the lake. It was very early morning and she'd been standing here all night. She was letting her mind wander listlessly.  
  
Her first warning of trouble came when she heard a muffled *crack* from a gun and another muffled thud. Someone had just been shot. She was about to turn to see what the fuss was when a strong arm snaked around her thinly covered waist.  
  
"Aren't you cold?" A familiar voice asked into her ear.  
  
She gasped in surprise. *Heero?!* She silently vowed that she wouldn't act like a love-struck schoolgirl.  
  
"Uh...What are you doing here, Heero?" She didn't move a single muscle. She didn't want him to let go, but she didn't want to act like a ninny, either.  
  
"You're freezing..." Heero dogged the question, evasively. *Obviously, she hasn't been eating enough. She's too frail by half...* Letting none of his concern show, he stepped back and took his light jacket off his own back.  
  
"I'm fine." Relena said stiffly as she turned to face him. She was wearing a skimpy little gauze nightdress, and was reluctant for Heero to know that fact. He still hadn't answered her question. She blushed and refused to meet his eyes as Heero swung his jacket over her skinny shoulders.  
  
*I wish she were wearing something a bit more...Concealing? No, something warmer, I think...I wasn't lying when I said that she's freezing. She's like ice to the touch...* He thought. His subconscious grabbed the bait instantly, while he was still slightly off balance from her closeness. ~Huh. Concealing my ***! You like her like this!* He growled but didn't admit it.  
  
"What were you doing out her this late?" He asked instead.  
  
"I couldn't get to sleep. Lately, I haven't really been getting much restful sleep..." What Relena didn't tell him was the cause of her insomnia. *He'd laugh if I told him that those nightmares are all about him...* No, she didn't dare tell him.  
  
*Funny that I haven't been able to sleep much, either...* Heero thought abstractly. But that was beside the point...  
  
"You should try to get some sleep, Miss Relena."  
  
"Wait!" Relena whirled, "Your jacket..." She whispered to the empty air. She sighed and slipped back inside to change for the day.  
  
Heero watched from a little way off, with one eyebrow raised. *She's different. I think she's grown up a bit. I can't quite pinpoint it...A year or so ago, she would have taken advantage of that, but now...* His thoughts trailed off.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Get her out for a day, that's all I need." Heero spoke from the shadows of his room. he stood with his arms crossed and gazed at the picture on the transmitter.  
  
"Alright, alright. I'll get her brother to take her to a movie or something..." Noin's face was slightly annoyed. Heero growled at the mention of his old arch-nemesis, Zechs Marquise.  
  
"Too risky." Heero was quick to point out. "Take her to Quatre's place. It'll be a fun little outing to the country. She won't suspect a thing."  
  
"You underestimate her." Noin replied quietly, "You always do, but I'll tell her Quatre requester a debate. She'll like that. It'll keep her busy, too."  
  
Bip. End transmission.  
  
* Alright, that's done. Now I just have to get those security cameras up. Simple. Piece of cake.* Heero closed the laptop and grinned. *Now I won't have to follow her everywhere like a puppy. And, she'll be safer.*  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	4. In Which Relena Goes to Visit Quatre

"But..." Relena sputtered as Noin dragged her out to the waiting limo. "The conference...I'll be late!"  
  
"It's been postponed." Noin said quietly, "And Quatre really wanted this debate."  
  
Noin opened the door of the limousine and pushed Relena in the back and slid in beside her. Noin closed the door and spoke to the driver,  
  
"Pagen, please take us to the Winner mansion near Kristalmir Lake."  
  
"Very good, Miss. Lucretsia." The impassive driver replied.  
  
"Paa-gen..." Noin pleaded, rolling her eyes. "Please call me "Noin". "Lucretsia" drives me crazy!"  
  
"Oh, so that's why my brother always uses it..." Relena teased. Noin growled and attempted to hide her blush by looking out the window. Relena laughed and settled in for the long drive.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
*Huh. Mission accomplished...* Heero sat in his room, looking at the tall display board filled with screens. Each one showed a different room in the Peacecraft mansion. *I should inform Dr. J that I'm finished.*  
  
He pushed himself back in the chair, and put his feet up on his desk. *Hmm... I should tell Noin, too. And Lady Une?...Maybe. I still don't trust her, even if Treize is dead...Or rather, is supposed to be dead...I wonder...*  
  
He sat up and shook himself. He opened his laptop and typed.  
  
The Doctor didn't like to be seen on screen, so all transmissions were typed.  
  
Came the curt answer. *Well. That's J for you.* Heero thought, amused. *He didn't even give me the chance to ask how the Gundams are coming...Huh...Obviously deliberate, probably because of complications...* Heero typed in Noin's code and turned on the video section of the transmitter. He stood and stepped back into shadow. Noin would be able to identify the person she spoke to, but little more.  
  
"Lieutenant."  
  
"Mr. Yuy." Came Noin's cool response as curt image came onto Heero's screen.  
  
"I've finished. You can bring her back." Heero said, coming straight to the point.  
  
"Affirmative. We'll be back soon..." Noin was curt, "And...Mr. Yuy? Look out for her brother."  
  
Heero didn't show it, but he was startled. "Can you give me a reason for the caution?" He asked. Noin looked pained and grimaced. She reached over and shut of the transmission.  
  
*What was that all about? I thought Zechs had gone Pacifist... Hmm...*  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Relena was curled up in the back seat of the limo. She was also half- asleep, rocking to the car's movement. *Yawn...That was a good debate. Quatre had a lot of good points. Hmm...The subject matter was not really very important, though. If it had been up to me, I wouldn't have postponed that conference...I wonder how Heero's been...I haven't heard from him for a while...Now, where did that come from?*  
  
~ Why don't you ask Duo if he has Heero's address? He'd be more than glad to give it to you. ~ An annoying voice in the back of her head spoke.  
  
*Huh. Heero would have called if he wanted to talk, and if he wanted my company, he would have simply shown up...* She thought back, skeptically.  
  
~ Really? What if he's scared of you? Would he call then? Or just show up? ~  
  
*Pfffff...Heero, Scared?! You've got to be kidding!* She scoffed back.  
  
"Miss Relena?" Noin's concerned voice broke through her inner conversation. "Are you ok? You've been making the most odd sounds..."  
  
Relena laughed to cover her discomfort. "Oh, it's nothing...I was just laughing at something Quatre said..." (Quatre hadn't said anything funny all day...)  
  
Noin raised an eyebrow. *Hmm...There's definitely something wrong...Alright, time to put Step 2 of Mission Rejuvenation. into motion...*  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	5. In Which the Birthday Party is Arrainged

"Alright, Noin. I'll have the place ready. You'll have to convince the others, though. I won't have time. And please." Quatre was desperate, "Get them here early, I'll need help with the cake. I have never learned how to bake, and it would defeat the purpose if we just bought one."  
  
"Don't worry about it, Quatre. I'll have them there." Noin replied, amused. "But you and the guys will have to deal with those cake arrangements. The girls and me are going to have to distract her. We'll take her to the mall, movies, anything to distract her. You'll have to do the rest."  
  
* Gulp * Quatre thought * none of us can cook!! Unless?? Heero, maybe?? Huh! Yeah right, and I could sew the moon and stars into a patchwork quilt.. Not likely. Gulp * "uh." He was very close to tears at that point. * Poor Relena. * "Yeah. I guess we can manage that."  
  
"Right!!" Noin smiled, "That's the spirit!! Well, we'll see you then!"  
  
Bip. Bip. Both transmissions ended.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I'll be there. Catherine talked me into it a while ago." Trowa looked over at his sister, who was grinning wildly. "Somehow I have a funny feeling I'm going to regret this decision, though."  
  
"Only if you don't go through with it!!" Catherine whispered.  
  
Then Noin added, "No, Trowa. But you had better get her something. This b is /b for her birthday, after all. Even if that's just an excuse to get her away from her work. And please be early. I'll see you both then."  
  
Bip. Bip.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"You WILL go!!!" Hilde brandished a metal wrench in Duo's direction.  
  
"Wha...I....Of course I'll go!!" Duo yelped. "If you'll just let me explain.."  
  
"You ARE going! Whether you like it or not!!" Hilde yelled, slipping out from under the ship's hull. She threatened Duo, who was across the ship, with the wrench again. Duo shrank back against the wall, his hands in the air.  
  
"Hey, ok!! That's what I've been saying!!" He replied, and Hilde dropped the wrench and dove at him to give him a kiss.  
  
Duo blinked and said, "Well, if THAT's how you feel."  
  
Hilde blushed.  
  
The ship saw any number of things that day which it had never before seen. No longer could it be called innocent from that day forth.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Let me in, Woufei!!" Lieutenant Noin had saved the two most difficult pilots for last. She had decided to visit Woufei in person, just in case she would have to knock him out and carry him with her to make him go. "Woufei, I know you're in there! Open up!!"  
  
"I'm busy." Came the muffled reply.  
  
"Really? Well, if you don't open this door, I'll have to ask my officers to break it down." Noin replied with cool indifference. "And you'll be the one paying for repairs."  
  
That got him. The door banged open and Woufei stood several feet inside the room. He was wearing an old-style traditional Japanese exercise outfit. A student looked up from practice. The boy looked perplexed and lost his balance, falling hard on the floor.  
  
(AN: Yoga, people- you yoga people know what I mean)  
  
"Li." Woufei growled, still watching the leutenant, "How many times to I have to tell you, Child!! Control is everything! If you cannot control yourself, how dare to control the lives of others in honorable combat?!"  
  
The boy was shakeing, but he returned to his yoga position.  
  
"What do you want Onna?" Woufei asked, with barely concealed contempt in his voice.  
  
"You are coming to a party for Miss Relena's birthday." Her face and voice showed no emotion. Her statement was quite clearly an order, though. She was flanked by four officers.  
  
"No, actually, I'm not." He replied, "There is no reason for me to waste my time in such a dishonorable fashion."  
  
"You and your honor and justice!!" Noin scoffed, "Is it honorable that a girl of nineteen has been pushed into the Prime Minister's office, and works such long hours that she's loosing twenty pounds a month?? If you tell me that's justice, I'll clomp you one!!"  
  
"Fine." Woufei growled, "but I don't see how more excitement will help matters any."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
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End file.
